Blackbirds (Miriam Black, #1) in Fantasy-Faction.com

May 22, 2013 Mogsy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: thriller-suspense, horror, paranormal, urban, audiobook

4.5 stars. Oh man, what can I say about Miriam Black? Funny how Chuck Wendig was able to hook me on his Blackbirds female protagonist the way he couldn't with Mookie Pearl in The Blue Blazes, my first book by this author. I may have mentioned my aversion for rough, brutish, brawn-over-brains characters like Mookie in my review of that book, but here I find myself completely taken with Miriam and her snarky, foul-mouthed, firebrand hellion devil-may-care badass ways. This chick had me at, "That's 4.5 stars. Oh man, what can I say about Miriam Black? Funny how Chuck Wendig was able to hook me on his Blackbirds female protagonist the way he couldn't with Mookie Pearl in The Blue Blazes, my first book by this author. I may have mentioned my aversion for rough, brutish, brawn-over-brains characters like Mookie in my review of that book, but here I find myself completely taken with Miriam and her snarky, foul-mouthed, firebrand hellion devil-may-care badass ways. This chick had me at, "That's me. My fair fuckin' lady."

Miriam also has a very special ability -- she can foresee the manner in which a person will die and know exactly when, down to the very micro-second. All she needs is any skin-on-skin contact and the visions will trigger, the deaths playing out in her mind in their entirety but lasting only a couple seconds to anyone watching from the outside. She used to care, used to want to save others from their preventable demises, but quickly learned her lesson: What fate wants, fate gets. Now she's a vagrant, hopping from city to city trailing those she knows will soon meet their end, so she can swoop in and rob them at the time of their deaths and no one will be the wiser.

Then one day she meets Louis, the random truck driver who gives her a lift and is the first person in a long time to show her even a hint of kindness. She finds she likes him, but then she shakes his hand and sees his death -- in 30 days, Louis will be brutally murdered. Miriam is shocked; she's seen hundreds of deaths from accidents, suicides, and health problems, but very rarely has she seen murder. And the kicker is, in her vision right before Louis dies, he looks up past his killer and calls Miriam's name...like he sees her there.

It was difficult to put this book down. Obviously, the plot being such a tease was a major draw, but like I said before, I was also very much taken with Miriam. I still don't know why, really; it's not like I can relate to her all that easily since I am nothing like her, but I felt connected to her regardless. She's definitely unique, and it'll be a mistake going into this book expecting her to be just another independent, tough-as-nails paranormal fiction female protagonist. Miriam would probably just beat someone like her up, but only after cussing her out and drinking her under the table.

A lot of the criticisms I've seen directed at this book claim Miriam's character doesn't read like a "real girl", but I have to disagree. Not only do I know women who act just like Miriam, I also think that her rough, trashy badass exterior reflects the kind of life she's had growing up with her disturbing power, making her behavior and personality convincing and refreshingly honest. At the same time, I sense that underneath is someone more perceptive and complex, with a introspective, kind and caring side to her that you just have to dig a little bit beneath the surface to find. Okay, maybe make that dig A LOT beneath the surface, but I still know it's there.

This book also made me start appreciating Chuck Wendig's style a lot more than I had before. His writing, topics, and characters are infused with this attitude which to me is a little reminiscent of the transgressiveness in books one might find by authors like Chuck Palahniuk or Bret Easton Ellis. I also love the paranormal spin to Blackbirds, but I would also hesitate to categorize it as urban fantasy because it throws so many of that genre's conventions out the window; my guess is that a person can be really put off by this book if caught completely unprepared by it.

Sometimes, it does feel like the book is deliberately out to shock you, what with some of its violent and graphic scenes as well as Miriam's potty mouth, but I was strangely cool with it. The subject matter also had a way of making me feel deliciously unsettled, but it at least made this book memorable. I admit I was somewhat initially hesitant about tackling another Chuck Wendig book after enjoying but not being completely blown away by The Blue Blazes, but I definitely liked Blackbirds more than I thought I would.

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May 02, 2015 Joel rated it it was ok

Shelves: audiobooks

I've been keeping an eye on Chuck Wendig books for a while - he seems like a nice dude, and is omnipresent in pictures and articles I see about the various fantasy conventions, etc. I was looking for a quicker, urban fantasy style book to bridge between epic novels, so now seemed as good of a time as any to pick up one of his.

Miriam is a young woman with a chip on her shoulder, and an odd ability - just by touching skin with another person, she sees a vivid image of when and how they die. At the I've been keeping an eye on Chuck Wendig books for a while - he seems like a nice dude, and is omnipresent in pictures and articles I see about the various fantasy conventions, etc. I was looking for a quicker, urban fantasy style book to bridge between epic novels, so now seemed as good of a time as any to pick up one of his.

Miriam is a young woman with a chip on her shoulder, and an odd ability - just by touching skin with another person, she sees a vivid image of when and how they die. At the start, she's busy using this ability for her own personal gain - casual contact with people, find out they will be dying soon, and then she appears on the scene to rob them of their money and move onto the next. This begins to come crashing down, when she meets a trucker whose ending of life involves her. She's soon arranged with an equally crooked individual who sees her as a way to make money and stay on the move, using her ability for his own game. However, after being approached by hitmen disguised as FBI agents, Miriam discovers that her new partner has his own secrets, which lead her down a spiraling path.

In concept, the book is interesting. The writing is fine, the story moves along, and the character growth is present enough, watching as Miriam, as well as her costars all evolve and change based on what happens. However, despite that, this book just didn't work for me. From the start, I just could not 'get into' it, I felt disconnected from the book and characters, felt a growing disdain for Miriam, even when I normally can connect with just about any protagonist/anti-hero in a story. I never once feared for her - which was an apt thing, as she takes an absolutely absurd amount of abuse, while having almost zero side effects that last more than a few minutes. She gets the beating of her life, then is suddenly shooting blindly with marksman accuracy, or going on a long walk, performing acrobatics.

So my summary of the book is basically that: Decent story, good enough writing, smooth plot movement. Yet, nothing drew me in, nothing kept me interested, and the overall style just ground against me the entire time. I could 100% understand why people would really enjoy this book - I just didn't. ...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Hannah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: paranormal, contemporary

With a mere touch of your skin Miriam Black can tell when and how you will die. She’s seen old age take its toil, car crashes and heart attacks. Watching people’s final moments, Miriam’s gift makes her a guiding angel for death. But the burden takes a turn when she hitches a ride with truck rider Louis. Shaking his hand, she sees his imminent death and hears him call her name. Can Miriam escape the hand of fate or is she caught up in her own destiny?

As soon as you start reading Blackbirds it’s h With a mere touch of your skin Miriam Black can tell when and how you will die. She’s seen old age take its toil, car crashes and heart attacks. Watching people’s final moments, Miriam’s gift makes her a guiding angel for death. But the burden takes a turn when she hitches a ride with truck rider Louis. Shaking his hand, she sees his imminent death and hears him call her name. Can Miriam escape the hand of fate or is she caught up in her own destiny?

As soon as you start reading Blackbirds it’s hard to deny that it’s violent and crass, overflowing with swearing, fighting, drinking and immorality. Those of a sensitive nature be warned. But if you are daring and willing enough to read, you will find a story that is unique, mesmerising and utterly compelling. Admittedly I had to skip a few gory paragraphs so as not to upset my delicate sensitivities, but even the raw violence couldn’t stop me reading.

Having never read anything like it, Wendig’s writing style is distinctive. Each word packs a punch – there isn’t any fluff or unnecessary content. Likewise, the change between present and past give us insight into the different characters without breaking up the pace and flow.

As the female protagonist, Miriam is definitely unique and quite a character. Flitting from town to town, hitching rides and never settling down, she isn’t necessarily a character I can easily relate to. But that didn’t bother me, because I loved how different she was from me. Listening to a narrative full of swearing and anger I was enthralled by her unabashed honesty and frankness. Miriam certainly grew on me as unlikely but deserving hero.

The big question that Miriam struggles with throughout the story is whether fate can be changed. Able to see other people’s death before it happens, Miriam is faced with the decision of intervening and trying to save them or letting fate take its natural course. It can’t be an easy decision to make, every time you touch someone deciding whether you should attempt to save them from death or let the inevitable happen. And who would want to watch people die just by shaking their hand? But can fate be changed anyway? If fate decides how we die, can Miriam ever change it? The guilt of both trying and failing and doing nothing has taken its toll on Miriam; she drinks, sleeps around and gets into fights. You can feel her pain jump out of the pages, showing the vulnerability inside her tough shell.

Reading Blackbirds feels a little like your riding a rollercoaster; after tipping over that first crest you’re pulled forward with a momentum that is paralysing and a force that is unstoppable. Miriam knows she’s barrelling towards something, but she can’t grasp how she’ll get there or what will happen when she does. I was gripped with both anticipation but also uncertainty because I liked truck driver Louis. He’s a genuine and decent guy, quite a rare thing in Blackbirds, and I didn’t want someone so nice getting caught up in the horrific and ruthless dealings of Ingersoll. It’s the kind of plot where you have to close your eyes, hold on tight and hope for the best.

What I liked about the characters in Blackbirds is that they are multi-dimensional. None of them are purely good or evil. Like real life, they’re a blend of both, with good and bad parts. Even the bad guys Harriet and Ingersoll have a past and a history, a reason for who they are and why they do what they do. Seeing the other side of the coin, and the story behind people’s behaviour, is always interesting as it plays on your emotions and almost makes you feel sorry for them. Almost but most definitely not. It did make me wonder though, whether evil is born or made, nature or nurture, or in Ingersoll’s case possibly a mixture of both.

Blackbirds is a high energy, whisky-fuelled ride, that will pull you along for the journey and have you questioning whether we can change destiny. A must-read book by an author that is worth watching. ...more

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May 30, 2012 Ken rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-faction-book-club

Blackbirds by Chung Wendig has been on my radar due to the amazing amount of praise I've been hearing around the blogosphere. So I was extremely thrilled when the book was chosen as the June book club read with Fantasy Faction as I get to share with others on their reading experience.

Now that I have some time to reflect, I can honestly say that the book is one hell of a ride. The book reads like a Tarantino movie and grabs you from the very beginning with its enigmatic protagonist Miriam. If you ...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Mick rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy-fiction

Miriam Black is trouble. She's violent, foul-mouthed, drinks and smokes too much, and she can see how you're going to die.

And when you do, she'll be there to nick your wallet.

This is a wonderfully nasty little book, featuring some wonderfully nasty characters doing lots of nasty things, but Chuck Wendig manages to make the characters (mostly) sympathetic, and tragic, without ever compromising their roughness or the brutality of the story.

Too much discussion of the plot would give away spoiler ...more

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May 08, 2012 Johann Pollard rated it it was amazing

Absolutely brilliant. Dark but brilliant.

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Mar 11, 2013 Patrick rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy

I see...well, dying people. Had a blast reading this one, though the current first person tense did throw me for a bit. I'll gladly pick up the second one of these. ...more

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